KSRTC to resume Tirupati tour service, will use premium-class buses

The services of KSRTC were disrupted due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic and subsequent lockdown.

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will resume its Tirupati travel packages from July 16. The tour was disrupted due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic and subsequent lockdown. KSRTC will be the first government-run body among the southern states to resume this service; private operators are arranging the same from other cities like Mysuru, Belagavi, Mangaluru and other tier-II cities.

The KSRTC bus services opened following the easing of lockdown restrictions in Telangana and Karnataka from July 5.

According to a report in Prajavani on Wednesday, the services opened following the easing of lockdown restrictions in Telangana and Karnataka from July 5. The report also released the schedule, saying KSRTC will operate club class services of Volvo B11R vehicles with air conditioning.

The first schedule will begin from Shantinagar bus station and will have pick-up points at Jayanagar, Nagasandra, N R Colony, Kempegowda Bus terminus, Domlur, Maruthalli, ITI gate and K R Puram.

The second schedule will leave from Vijayanagar TTMC and will pass through Navrang, Malleshwaram circle, Kempegowda bus terminus, ITI gate and K R Puram, said the report quoting a press release by the KSRTC.

The fare will be ₹2,200 for adults and ₹1,800 for children between the age of 6 and 12 (from Sunday to Thursday). For the weekend tours, the fare will be ₹2,600 for adults and ₹2,000 for children.

During the three-month lockdown, KSRTC had discontinued the air conditioned services complying with the standard operating procedures. Officials in KSRTC said that the vehicles which will be used have been maintained in their pristine condition and sanitised before being released to operate, so the travel is safer with the trnasport department, according to Prajavani.

KSRTC has the largest fleet of premium classes of vehicles from the manufacturers such as Volvo, Mercedes Benz, Corona and Scania. Bengaluru-Tirupathi route is one of the most popular schedules among religious tour packages of KSRTC and is a major earner for the corporation.